CAPE TOWN - At least five people were killed and 20 wounded in Baidoa, Somalia, after an explosion ripped through Eid celebrations on Sunday, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Police office Mohamed Muktar told the international news agency that, “the initial information we have received indicates the dead bodies of five people were collected from the scene of the blast and more than twenty others have been wounded”.
Muktar said there were fears of the death toll rising due to the seriousness of the wounds of those injured, which included women and children.
Crowds gathered on Saturday and Sunday on the site of the blast as celebrations following the end of the Holy month of Ramadaan kicked off, according to witness Abdi Hassan.
Mohamud Ibrahim, another witness, told AFP that those wounded and killed were dancing and singing at the time of the explosion.
"I’m not an expert but I think there was a roadside bomb involved, the blast was huge and it caused casualties more than a grenade may cause," Ibrahim said.
In a separate attack on Sunday in the capital Mogadishu, police general Ali Hersi Barre and his bodyguards survived an explosion allegedly targeting his car, according to Voice of America (VOA).
This was the second attempt on the general. A similar attack took place on May 20, and led to the death of a bodyguard.
Although nobody has yet claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks, VOA reported that security officials suspected terrorist group al-Shabab to be responsible.